7.08.2010

Baby Stuff: Changing table

We're planning on going to pick up a dresser with a changing table top tonight (Off craigslist! For cheap!), and I asked twitter what they thought of changing tables: Useful or not? We know we don't have room for a dedicated changing table in the tiny nursery we're planning, but a dresser combination seemed to make sense. Opinions on Twitter were mixed:

BabyEtteEtsy: never used them... always on the bed or floor through all 4 babies

that_girl_lola we bought one with our first daughter- maybe used it 3 times in all. When I was pg with our 2nd, we got rid of it to make space but, our nursery was on 2nd floor, and our room on 1st- which meant lots of changing on our bed- more convenient. ... maybe consider buying used at Once Upon a Child and then you can save $ and sell back if you don't use it.

UntanglingTales useful inasmuch as it creates a one-stop-swap. If you're not doing cloth They're 100% optional. Once they reached the rolling stage I changed mine on the floor so I could immobilize them w/ my feet. ... We had shelves in a closet by a waist-high dresser we stapled a pad to. Covered the pad w/h2o-proof yardage we swapped to wash.

kt_writes I never used one--it was much easier to just put a changing pad on the floor or bed.

jkubecki Depends on if you like your OLD table. We changed when we wanted something bigger for dinner... Oh, wait... Seriously, they're very handy to have. Make sure u get 1 that's big enough 2 keep all supplies handy. And don't walk away ever.

twentysixcats That changing table on CL looks like a great buy. I love having a place to change Savannah. To keep dipes, wipes, etc. It's not "necessary", but useful. We got a dining room sideboard/buffet. You could also use a pack & play w/ changing pad.

After getting these answers, I saw that commenters mostly defended the use of the "unitasker" changing table on Unclutterer. We aren't even considering a unitasker, and are insisting on a dresser with a changing table top. I hesitate to plan to change the baby on the floor, mostly because I think my curious, large dog will get in the way. I see the logic in keeping all the diapering supplies in one place, and, admittedly, we have a relatively small one-story house, so getting to them from anywhere in the house shouldn't be inconvenient.

9 comments:

First and foremost, you need a dresser. I didn't see anybody objecting to that part, but obviously "just use the floor" doesn't apply to drawers full of onesies. You'll need somewhere to store things. And why not make the top a reasonable height and area for changing a baby? I personally don't feel like getting down on my hands and knees every time a diaper is dirty.

P.S. "every time" feels like every 10 minutes the first year or two, so a little convenience adds up.

For the first one we had a changing table. We used it a lot for diapers ect. For the last three I put a changing pad (the U shaped ones) on top of a dresser to make the top of the dresser the changing table. Kind of like what your looking at. It was very convenient to have the clothes, diapers, and a place for the kid all in the same spot. I say go for it!

We use the top of the dresser with a changing pad on it while they are little, once they are moving around we use the floor. It's just easier, we've never really had space for anything made only to change diapers on.

We use a chest of drawers with a removeable change-top on it. We had a traditional changetable when our sone was born almost 6 years ago, and I could never fit everything on its 1 shelf. The drawers we have now have an extra deep drawer at the bottom where I put nappies (diapers), 2 normal drawers where I keep clothes, and 2 half-width drawers at the top, one where I keep baby-underwear-things (socks, stockings, under-shirts, PJs) and one where I keep change-time necesseties - rash cream, wipes, gloves, any current medecines.

Having 2 functions in the one floorspace-area is a sanity saver. And just because its there doesn't mean you HAVE to use it every time. Before we moved house, my bub often got changed on any available bed/sofa/kitchen counter, as her bedroom was too hard to get to.

We've used a dresser/changing table combo for both boys. For Jer, Daniel made a huge dresser with a ledge thing around the top. For Timmy, the dresser was too big for the room, so we just use a smaller dresser with our slip-proof changing pad on top. It's nice to have everything in one place. At some point they get too squirmy, but until then it's nice to have (especially if you have a baby dresser anyway).